Dark output

Mike Teutsch · July 13th, 2005, 10:03 PM

Yes, this camera requires a lot of light. But, when it has it, then it is really good!

Have fun,

Mike

Ken Hodson · July 14th, 2005, 12:43 AM

Play with exposure settings and leave shutter speed alone untill you are very experienced. Adjust exposure to your liking and make sure there are no auto AE setiings messing with your setup and you should be good to go. Low shutter will give you better light, thats why the cam always reverts to 1/30th in HD. If you take the time to learn the cam you will enjoy it. There is a learning curve. Good luck!

Allen Lu · July 14th, 2005, 08:35 AM

I understand theres a learning curve to this cam. However, no matter what the exposure is at, even at +10L, I am not getting my original dark output resolved.

So, indoors, a bright light source is always needed.

Ken Hodson · July 14th, 2005, 11:29 AM

Allen do you want to get to the bottom of this? Give me some feedback on the questions I ask you and we should be able to figure this out. Hang in there!
Are you saying the exposure control has no effect at all?
Hook it up to the TV then test the exposure controll so you can tell from the live feed what works and what doesn't.
Are you sure you have no AE presets enabled?
Backlight compensation is not selected?
Are you in A or M mode? Make it "M"
Do not touch or sellect anything to do with shutter!
Press the exposure button and rotate slowly. Should be a lot easier to notice these changes viewing on the TV.
Any change at all?
Lets go from there.

Allen Lu · July 14th, 2005, 03:53 PM

>Are you saying the exposure control has no effect at all?

Correct. From my observation and the thread about exposure lock, I'm not sure how this will help me in indoor shoots?

>Hook it up to the TV then test the exposure controll so you can tell from the live feed what works and what doesn't.

I believe I tried this and saw that when I jog the exposure dial from 0 to +10, no changes occur in the image on TV or on the LCD.

>Are you sure you have no AE presets enabled?

None. Always off.

>Backlight compensation is not selected?

Not selected. I tried this also and saw no difference on the LCD or VF. I didnt try the TV monitor. This is the same as the exposure test, it didnt change anything for me.

>Are you in A or M mode? Make it "M"

Manual for all indoor and outdoor tests.

>Do not touch or sellect anything to do with shutter!

I'm off the shutter. Can't play with exposure when I have shutter locked. So I pushed the shutter button until it disappeared.

>Press the exposure button and rotate slowly. Should be a lot easier to notice these changes viewing on the TV.
Any change at all?

I will try this again tonight but the thing I was saying about the exposure was that no it doesnt help because the cam readjusts by other means to get the picture "normal" and dark again. I can see that it brighten up for a second but it readjusts after and the pic looks dark again.

Perhaps I'll also include some screenshots to show and clarify.

Allen Lu · July 14th, 2005, 10:36 PM

Just did a few shots with exposure adjusted. The exposure does brighten the picture..but as before, even on the TV monitor, it does not provide the lift needed to match the LCD or VF's output of the same image - even towards overexposure.

But I did find a setting to my liking for indoors, even better than auto. Its the "set nothing" mode in manual. No AE, no shutter, no arperture, no exposure lock. I'm sure everything is on auto but it provides a brighter picture than auto or manual in 1/30 mode. It is almost like being in manual with only 1/15 shutter set but without the panning blur.

I am not sure what shutter speed it is set at but if its 1/30, its much brighter than actually setting 1/30 in manual mode. To compare, I switched it to auto, and it was darker.

In all shots, AGC is on. Its not too bad. Without it, its too dark. The chroma noise exists whether its on or off. The setting seems to be the best setting for a bright picture with indoor shoots.

Ken Hodson · July 15th, 2005, 12:46 PM

Try complaining to JVC. It has been stated by some that newer cams have been improved allowing much better light capability. This was first reported by users who had repairs done and noticed a vast improvement when returned.

Allen Lu · July 15th, 2005, 02:55 PM

Their nearest service center is 4 hours away so I have to send it in.

They claim that the cam needs some soldering to restore the brightness.

How does this sound to you?

Ken Hodson · July 15th, 2005, 03:03 PM

Surprised they replied so quick and seem to know the problem sight unseen. Any estimate on cost?
Bottom line is if you want a functioning cam?!

Allen Lu · July 15th, 2005, 03:45 PM

They said as long as I keep a copy of the sales receipt from B&H its under warranty. The lady who fielded the question to the technician said "it sounds like some soldering is needed to fix the connections".

Allen Lu · July 15th, 2005, 04:31 PM

Called them again..this time I think I got a tech guy posing as a phone operator instead of a real phone operator.

He gave me a different story. He thinks thats how the cam works. Theres nothing wrong with it. "If you (me) want to be convinced, go to Best Buy and try one of theirs. Then decide if your cam is broken or not."

I think I will try that. He spoke of the IRE 7.5 differences in lame-man terms but he said that is very subtle and shouldnt a major difference. No soldering needed from this guy.

July 13th, 2005, 10:03 PM	#16
Mike Teutsch Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida Posts: 2,614	Quick Note! Yes, this camera requires a lot of light. But, when it has it, then it is really good! Have fun, Mike

July 14th, 2005, 12:43 AM	#17
Ken Hodson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 1,315	Play with exposure settings and leave shutter speed alone untill you are very experienced. Adjust exposure to your liking and make sure there are no auto AE setiings messing with your setup and you should be good to go. Low shutter will give you better light, thats why the cam always reverts to 1/30th in HD. If you take the time to learn the cam you will enjoy it. There is a learning curve. Good luck! __________________ Damnit Jim, I'm a film maker not a sysytems tech.

July 14th, 2005, 11:29 AM	#19
Ken Hodson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 1,315	Allen do you want to get to the bottom of this? Give me some feedback on the questions I ask you and we should be able to figure this out. Hang in there! Are you saying the exposure control has no effect at all? Hook it up to the TV then test the exposure controll so you can tell from the live feed what works and what doesn't. Are you sure you have no AE presets enabled? Backlight compensation is not selected? Are you in A or M mode? Make it "M" Do not touch or sellect anything to do with shutter! Press the exposure button and rotate slowly. Should be a lot easier to notice these changes viewing on the TV. Any change at all? Lets go from there. __________________ Damnit Jim, I'm a film maker not a sysytems tech.

July 14th, 2005, 10:36 PM	#21
Allen Lu Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 65	My testing Just did a few shots with exposure adjusted. The exposure does brighten the picture..but as before, even on the TV monitor, it does not provide the lift needed to match the LCD or VF's output of the same image - even towards overexposure. But I did find a setting to my liking for indoors, even better than auto. Its the "set nothing" mode in manual. No AE, no shutter, no arperture, no exposure lock. I'm sure everything is on auto but it provides a brighter picture than auto or manual in 1/30 mode. It is almost like being in manual with only 1/15 shutter set but without the panning blur. I am not sure what shutter speed it is set at but if its 1/30, its much brighter than actually setting 1/30 in manual mode. To compare, I switched it to auto, and it was darker. In all shots, AGC is on. Its not too bad. Without it, its too dark. The chroma noise exists whether its on or off. The setting seems to be the best setting for a bright picture with indoor shoots. Last edited by Allen Lu; July 15th, 2005 at 08:52 AM.

July 15th, 2005, 12:46 PM	#22
Ken Hodson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 1,315	Try complaining to JVC. It has been stated by some that newer cams have been improved allowing much better light capability. This was first reported by users who had repairs done and noticed a vast improvement when returned. __________________ Damnit Jim, I'm a film maker not a sysytems tech.

July 14th, 2005, 08:35 AM	#18
Allen Lu Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 65	I understand theres a learning curve to this cam. However, no matter what the exposure is at, even at +10L, I am not getting my original dark output resolved. So, indoors, a bright light source is always needed.

July 14th, 2005, 03:53 PM	#20
Allen Lu Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 65	>Are you saying the exposure control has no effect at all? Correct. From my observation and the thread about exposure lock, I'm not sure how this will help me in indoor shoots? >Hook it up to the TV then test the exposure controll so you can tell from the live feed what works and what doesn't. I believe I tried this and saw that when I jog the exposure dial from 0 to +10, no changes occur in the image on TV or on the LCD. >Are you sure you have no AE presets enabled? None. Always off. >Backlight compensation is not selected? Not selected. I tried this also and saw no difference on the LCD or VF. I didnt try the TV monitor. This is the same as the exposure test, it didnt change anything for me. >Are you in A or M mode? Make it "M" Manual for all indoor and outdoor tests. >Do not touch or sellect anything to do with shutter! I'm off the shutter. Can't play with exposure when I have shutter locked. So I pushed the shutter button until it disappeared. >Press the exposure button and rotate slowly. Should be a lot easier to notice these changes viewing on the TV. Any change at all? I will try this again tonight but the thing I was saying about the exposure was that no it doesnt help because the cam readjusts by other means to get the picture "normal" and dark again. I can see that it brighten up for a second but it readjusts after and the pic looks dark again. Perhaps I'll also include some screenshots to show and clarify.

July 15th, 2005, 02:55 PM	#23
Allen Lu Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 65	Called JVC Service Their nearest service center is 4 hours away so I have to send it in. They claim that the cam needs some soldering to restore the brightness. How does this sound to you?

July 15th, 2005, 03:03 PM	#24
Ken Hodson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 1,315	Surprised they replied so quick and seem to know the problem sight unseen. Any estimate on cost? Bottom line is if you want a functioning cam?! __________________ Damnit Jim, I'm a film maker not a sysytems tech.

July 15th, 2005, 03:45 PM	#25
Allen Lu Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 65	They said as long as I keep a copy of the sales receipt from B&H its under warranty. The lady who fielded the question to the technician said "it sounds like some soldering is needed to fix the connections".

July 15th, 2005, 04:31 PM	#26
Allen Lu Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 65	Called again Called them again..this time I think I got a tech guy posing as a phone operator instead of a real phone operator. He gave me a different story. He thinks thats how the cam works. Theres nothing wrong with it. "If you (me) want to be convinced, go to Best Buy and try one of theirs. Then decide if your cam is broken or not." I think I will try that. He spoke of the IRE 7.5 differences in lame-man terms but he said that is very subtle and shouldnt a major difference. No soldering needed from this guy.